Geography Graduate Handbook
The Geography Department has prepared this convenient handbook to assist students in completing their master's program in geography, and to communicate major policies and procedures that affect Geography graduate students. Much information also is available elsewhere on the department’s website. Students should thoroughly familiarize themselves with this handbook's contents and the department's website, and refer to both as questions arise. For further assistance, students should not hesitate to consult the graduate committee chair or their adviser. Students also should read the section about the geography program in the current Ohio University graduate catalog. For guidance on what is expected of students as members of the Ohio University community, review the student code of conduct, including information regarding academic misconduct, found online at the Division of Student Affairs, Department of Community Standards.
The Department of Geography offers several possible specialties at the graduate level, leading to diverse career paths in the public, non-profit, and private sectors. Below are important areas of specialization within the department:
- Cultural-Political Ecology
- Cultural-Historical Geography
- Biogeography
- Geomorphology
- Urban Geography
- Agriculture and Food Resources
- Economic Development/Globalization
- Geographical Techniques (GIS, Geovisualization)
- Climatology and Meteorology
- Environmental and Sustainability Planning
- Sustainable Resource Management
- Gender and Development
View professional placements of recent graduates of our program.
The geography master's program typically requires two years (four semesters) to complete, and consists of coursework as well as researching and writing a thesis under faculty supervision. Graduate students receive credit only for classes at the 5000 level or higher; courses at the 4000 level or lower are not graduate level.
View the 2024-2025 Department of Geography Graduate Handbook as a PDF.